GSK gets regulatory nod to launch shingles vaccine in India

Brentford: British pharmaceutical company GlaxoSmithKline (GSK) is one step closer to launching a vaccine against shingles in India for those above 50 years of age. The company has got regulatory approvals from India's drug regulator and plan to launch it next year, company executives told ET. Piyali Mukherjee, vice president and head of global medical affairs, vaccines, at GSK said that one in three adults in their lifetime suffer from shingles.

She said the virus is there in 90 per cent of adults and whenever the immunities hit, the virus is reactivated and that's when one gets the symptoms of shingles. She said clinical studies have shown that the vaccine continues to benefit over 10 years.

"There's no need for a booster for a 10-year period. That's the data that we have today. In India has just been registered and it will be available for 50 plus population," Mukherjee said.

Being a price sensitive country, Mukherjee says that the company will follow a tiered pricing for India. "We know that in India people are paying out of pocket, so it is price sensitive. In lower middle-income countries, GSK has a tiered price system.

We need to price it at the price point which can facilitate access to patient because if a vaccine stays in the fridge, it's no use. It's only when vaccines are turned into vaccination that you'll see any benefit. GSK's approach is to facilitate action based on the economic status of the country.”

Mukherjee said that there is a mammoth work to be done to educate adults and practitioners regarding the importance of adult vaccination, but she believes that Covid-19 has helped advance that.

"Beyond covid, there are other vaccines for adults. There is such low awareness among people. Doctors don't see themselves as adult vaccinators like paediatricians see themselves. They're responsible for vaccinating children. So, you go to a paediatrician, they will give you an immunisation card. Nobody's having that conversation with adults. The governments need to understand the value of adult vaccination. We don't even have an adult immunization calendar in our countries. So, you need to establish an adult vaccination calendar, the infrastructure because paediatricians; they have the vaccine refrigerator. GP's do not have it. There is a lot of work to be done," she said.

So far shingles vaccine has been introduced in countries like the US. Mukherjee said the impact of shingles and quality of life has been assessed. There has been an impact on sleep. But the main thing is that if you are healthy, we don't think of what will happen to us when you're sick. People don't think that if I take this vaccine how will it benefit me? It's just that people think I'm healthy, they don't even think till the discussion is triggered.